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Political Unrest

Shakespeare wrote Macbeth around 1606, at the beginning of the reign of James I (James VI of Scotland).

Heritage

Heritage

  • James was the son of Mary Queen of Scots, who was Catholic.
  • Elizabeth I (and James himself) was Protestant.
Catholic and Protestant

Catholic and Protestant

  • Two types of Christians were described.
  • Many Protestants did not trust him because of his Catholic heritage, and many Catholics thought that he would support them.
Catholic and Protestant reactions

Catholic and Protestant reactions

  • When Catholics realised that James did not support Catholics, some began to develop conspiracy theories, such as the Gunpowder Plot:
    • The Gunpowder Plot was a failed attempt to assassinate James I by blowing up the House of Lords with gunpowder.
    • The plotters of the Gunpowder Plot were caught and tortured. The plot against the king had failed.
A tale of caution?

A tale of caution?

  • Macbeth is, to some degree, a tale of caution – it acted as a warning about what could happen to people who committed treason (a crime against the king).
Jump to other topics
1

Literary & Cultural Context

2

Plot Summary

3

Characters

4

Themes

5

Writer's Techniques

6

Recap: Main Quotes

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